This application is based upon and claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-010558, filed on Jan. 18, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument and, more particularly, to an electronic musical instrument for making tone generation control in response to operation of an operation member.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tone generation operation of a conventional electronic musical instrument starts tone generation in response to an ON key event of a keyboard. For example, since a piano tone color requires a decay tone, tone generation progresses like attackxe2x86x92decayxe2x86x92sustainxe2x86x92release in response to an ON key event of the keyboard, and then comes to an end. Since an organ tone color requires a sustaining tone, tone generation starts in response to an ON key event of the keyboard, continues while that key is kept pressed, and stops in response to an OFF key event.
However, in the conventional method, a key must be kept pressed to sustain tone generation (sustaining tone). Hence, to keep generating only a specific tone while stopping tone generation of other tones like normal tones in response to OFF key events upon performance, a very high skill is required. For example, it is difficult to sustain tone generation of only one tone in a bass range, and to make bimanual performance in a treble range.
When tone generation is a sequence, even when adlib tones of applause, wave, bell, and roll cymbal, which require different tone durations (tone generation times) in correspondence with situations, are to be generated, since tone generation comes to an end if the sequence is complete, the user""s requirement cannot be met.
For example, when the user wants to play a Christmas song while generating bell tones, if a sequence is set so that a bell tone comes to an end within several seconds, he or she must operate a bell operation member repetitively, resulting in impractical operation, and must make another operation for playing back sequence data that records bell tones using a music sequencer. However, sequencer data is used to play for a given fixed duration, and is not suitable for adlib operations that generate tones for arbitrary durations in correspondence with situations.
In the conventional method, since a tone to be generated or a sequence that allows tone generation in response to a single ON key event is determined, a required tone duration (tone generation time) cannot be obtained in correspondence with a situation. More specifically, a tone generation operation member must be kept pressed (operated) to generate a tone for a required duration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic musical instrument which can obtain desired tone duration by operating a given operation member.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic musical instrument comprising a tone generation instruction operation member for instructing to start tone generation, and a tone generation control unit for starting a tone generation process upon operation of the tone generation instruction operation member, continuing the tone generation process even after the tone generation instruction operation member is released, and executing a mute process when the identical tone generation instruction operation member is operated again.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic musical instrument comprising a tone generation instruction operation member for instructing to start tone generation, a tone generation mode storage unit for storing tone generation modes, and a tone generation control unit for, when the tone generation mode is a first mode, starting a tone generation process upon operation of the tone generation instruction operation member and executing a mute process upon release of the tone generation instruction operation member, and for, when the tone generation mode is a second mode, starting a tone generation process upon operation of the tone generation instruction operation member, continuing the tone generation process even after the tone generation instruction operation member is released, and executing a mute process when the identical tone generation instruction operation member is operated again.
According to the present invention, since a tone generation process is continuously done during a period from when the tone generation instruction operation member is operated until it is operated again, a desired tone duration can be obtained. Since the tone generation process can be continued even when the tone generation instruction operation member is released after operation, the player can freely use his or her hands and feet. For example, the player can make bimanual performance in a treble range while sustaining tone generation of only one tone in a bass range.